


Anniversary

by plikki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 5 years of Miraculous, F/M, Gift Giving, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: In a year, Marinette learns that good partnership is a work in progress and doesn't just happen overnight. When she accidentally figures out some interesting things about her partner, she gets an opportunity to put this knowledge to good use.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 25
Kudos: 185





	Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> Woohoo, happy 5 years of Miraculous! For me as a fan, it has been a little over 2 years, but it still seems like a lot and has been the best time! Here is a little something I wrote to mark this day. Enjoy!

Marinette couldn’t remember ever feeling so self-conscious around Chat. It was ridiculous. They’d greeted each other and then sat down in silence, which was not their usual comfortable brand, but rather tense. Marinette’s fingers itched to reach into her yo-yo and take out his gift, no matter how silly it seemed to her now, so she could just get it over with.

She ground her teeth, fed up with her own tendency to overthink such small things, and turned towards him.

“Happy anniversary!” 

They said it together, even though hers had sounded a little strained, while his had been happy. But them thinking and saying the same thing made them smile goofilly at each other and Marinette felt some of the tension leave her. 

“You remember,” she said warmly.

“Of course I do! But I’m surprised you do, to be honest,” he said, looking down at his hands. 

“Why?” She couldn’t imagine not remembering. 

“Well, it was the best day of my life. I got superpowers, a way to be out and about whenever I wanted it and most importantly, I met you.” She fought hard but couldn’t stop the blush from reaching her face. The way he said it, it felt so normal, and yet his words contained so much and coupled with the way he was looking at her. Ugh. No matter how much time passed, she couldn't stop admiring him for the easy way he said things like that. And she still couldn’t believe he felt like that about her.

“I got the scare of my life and almost gave up being Ladybug,” she admitted, feeling a little ashamed. “So I have a very good reason to remember it too.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t,” he said with a smile. “It was also a pretty turbulent day in my normal life too. I went to school for the first time, can you believe it?” He shook his head with a sad smile, probably still finding it hard to believe. But she could only gape at him. This had been Adrien’s first day at school. What were the odds…

“And it turned out that being a superhero didn’t stop me from making a mess,” he added, lost in memories and totally oblivious to her frantic thoughts. “I really offended this girl, who thought I was doing something I wasn’t, and she believed the worst of me. Thankfully, I got to apologise after that and we became friends, but I was off to a bad start.”

No, it couldn’t be, she thought as she watched him smile at his own bad luck. Remembering  _ her _ . She felt like her life tipped over and turned upside down in a second. It was so much to take in and so unexpected. Until she returned to the moment - it was just her standing there with Chat, her partner, her most trusted person. Everything righted itself as she reminded herself of that. Nothing else mattered after all. 

“I gave the earrings to Alya,” she whispered, making him look sharply at her. “I really wanted to give up after failing to cleanse the akuma that first time. And then I had to run after her and watch her get in trouble. Having no other choice, I transformed. But if it wasn’t for you, I probably would have given up after that too.” It was hard to admit this, but he deserved to know.

“I was so lucky to have you. I know I don’t say it as often as I should, but you’re the best partner, kitty. Us being here right now is all thanks to you,” she concluded with a soft smile that trembled just a little. 

“No, m’lady. I only wish I was as good as you make me sound. I should have gathered my bearings sooner, I put so many fights at risk with my stupidity and impulsiveness.” He looked so sorry when he said that and so much like Adrien, that she shivered. How blind she had been.

“Hey,” she said, taking his hand in hers. It was both to reassure him and to give herself courage. “We both made mistakes. We had a lot to learn and we learned on the job. We also had to get used to working together. But look at us. We’re still here, we haven’t given up. We’re so much closer, we trust each other, we are stronger. That’s what matters.”

When their eyes finally met, there was gratitude in his. She’d finally managed to say the right thing. Although words were not enough to express how important he was to her and how much it meant having him next to her. This was Chat and she could tell him anything.

“Let me tell you something else about a year ago, though,” she said a little nervously. Could she do this? “I didn’t meet only you for the first time. There was this boy I was too quick to judge and obviously hurt in the process. It wasn’t until he apologised for something he hadn’t done and gave me his umbrella to protect me from the rain without a second thought, that I realised that.”

She saw the moment it registered in his mind. That this sounded too familiar, that it was something he’d experienced himself. She felt so emotional, reliving all this, knowing what she knew now.

“Marinette,” he whispered and she gave him a watery smile. 

“I also fell in love with you that day, Adrien,” she said, fighting hard to keep her voice from wavering. It was another thing he deserved to know. “Can you believe it was so absurd? We were in love with each other and never knew it.” She felt the colour return to her cheeks and had to blink back the tears in her eyes, but she was still doing better than expected.

He looked at her wide-eyed, somehow looking more surprised by this new information than from learning her identity before that.

“I can’t believe this,” he said, giving the hand he was still holding a squeeze.

“So this was not what I expected to happen today,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “But this is probably a better gift than the original one I had for you,” she added, laughing. His eyes lit up.

“You have a gift for me? I have one for you too,” he said with a chuckle. She busied herself with opening her yo-yo and didn’t really look at him until she extended the hand holding his lucky charm towards him. That was when she found him holding something suspiciously similar in his hand too. Their eyes met again and they burst out laughing.

“You made me a lucky charm?” She asked incredulously when she recovered. 

“Well, I was trying to show you how much your friendship means to me and this seemed like a good idea! I still keep the one you gave me, you know. It means a lot to me.”

“You still have it? I lost track of it after we defeated Gorizilla.”

“My bodyguard returned it to me,” he said with a smile. “I also thought it would be funny, a little, to give you your own lucky charm, you know,” he said, his smile widening. 

“Haha, yes, you’re right, it’s funny. But also sweet. Thank you, it’ll join my other one from you in the place of honour, I also thought it would be nice for you to have something to remind you how important you are to me. And bring you good luck too, you surely need it,” she said, laughing a little.

“We’re quite a pair. Even if my reminiscing hadn’t tipped you off about my identity, the almost matching lucky charms would have given it away, right?” He said as they exchanged them. 

“Great minds think alike,” she joked. 

“Now it’s established how much we value each other’s friendship,” he said, sounding innocent enough, but there was a question in his eyes. 

“Yeah, it’s a good starting point for something more, right?” She said, just as casually. He scooted closer to her, making her heart beat even faster than it already was. She couldn’t believe it was happening.

“Do you mean that?” He asked, his now free hands cupping her face, the lucky charm on his wrist.

“Yes,” she said, feeling a little drunk on him already. 

“May I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes darting down to her lips before returning to hers. She swallowed.

“Yes,” she breathed and closed her eyes. She felt the slightest touch on her lips, so light it was barely there and then nothing. Her eyes opened again and she could feel her lips pursing.

“That was it?” She asked, trying to hide her disappointment but it was right there in her words.

“I-” Adrien started, then stopped, looking away. It was probably the first time she had seen him at a loss for words. 

“Is something wrong? Tell me.” She said, because the thought of him feeling uncomfortable with her was unbearable. She had to correct that, while silently wondering how they’d ended up like this. Of all the things to expect, having to comfort him hadn’t been one of them.

“I didn’t want to come on too strong,” he admitted, his eyes still not meeting hers, while his cheeks looked a little rosier. Her heart melted.

“I know you’re a gentleman and I know you can be too impulsive, so I get where you’re coming from but that barely counted as a kiss,” she teased him, but to her disappointment his hands fell from her face and he pulled back a little. For a second she was afraid she’d ruined it all but then he finally looked at her and there was something mischievous in his eyes.

“Then go ahead, kiss me like you want to be kissed,” he said, his voice teasing too. It was a challenge and she never backed down from one. So she totally forgot all her worries and insecurities. She just went for it.

She’d dreamt so many times about this moment. About kissing Adrien and about kissing Chat (only a time or two but it counted). And still it was better than anything she’d imagined. The way his lips were hesitant at first but then moved along with hers, welcoming her and giving in return. It was different from that first time that she barely remembered because of the stressful situation they had been in. It was real. It was clear that they were kissing because they wanted to, not because it was necessary, and oh, it felt so good. 

“How was that?” She asked when she pulled back. The dazed look on his face made her smile.

“Um. I think I need another demonstration,” he said slowly. She laughed a little, leaning in again.

“You asked for it,” she said. 

“I did,” he said, this time meeting her halfway, while his arms around her brought her even closer.

That was just the way they were, she realised. It didn’t have to be perfect from the start, it would be more like trial and error, but as long as they both wanted it, they’d learn together and get better at this whole new thing. She knew they could do it, they’d already proven that.

“Happy anniversary,” she said between kisses.

“Happy anniversary,” he replied, smiling at how insatiable she was. But hey, she’d waited a year, she deserved this. And he didn’t seem to mind. 


End file.
